ISLE OF WIGHT – One item can come off the Isle of Wight Public School technology department's wish list next year: bottled water. During the Isle of Wight School Board's budget session Thursday, Eric Cooprider, the school division's new technology director, made a department budget presentation that included $480 for bottled water. Turns out, the water - a carryover from previous year's technology budgets – is for the department's employees to drink because of concerns over high fluoride levels that used to be found in Smithfield's water.

ISLE OF WIGHT – One item can come off the Isle of Wight Public School technology department's wish list next year: bottled water. During the Isle of Wight School Board's budget session Thursday, Eric Cooprider, the school division's new technology director, made a department budget presentation that included $480 for bottled water. Turns out, the water - a carryover from previous year's technology budgets – is for the department's employees to drink because of concerns over high fluoride levels that used to be found in Smithfield's water.

Americans have a love affair with bottled water. According to the Beverage Marketing Corp., they spent $10 billion last year to prove it. But many of the reasons for buying bottled water just don't hold, well, water. From a spending-smart standpoint, drinking tap water is a better idea, even if you filter it. That's because bottled water is by far the most expensive way to get your H2O. Taste is one of the most common reasons for drinking bottled water. If you believe the taste of bottled water is better, conduct a blind taste test in your home, sampling bottled and tap water at the same temperature.

10 things TO do BEFORE the hurricane: • Know what you have. Take photos of your property, inside and out. Use a camera or an app with a time-stamp so you have proof for your insurance company. Make sure you have an insurance company and that your policies are up to date and cover you for hurricanes or other related storm events like flooding and tornadoes. Clear your property. Secure all outdoor items that could start flying around in high winds and don't underestimate those winds.

Businesses at Hayes Plaza Shopping Center will get bottled water because its well water is contaminated, the plaza's manager said Tuesday. Water samples from the well that serves the eight-store shopping plaza tested positive for coliform bacteria and failed Health Department tests, according to Rob Stanton, property manager of the plaza. Stanton said the landlord, Hayes Plaza Associates, will take steps to treat the well water so it is no longer contaminated. The landlord is considering connecting the shopping center to the county water supply, Stanton added.

Fishing for something simple yet nice to give a teacher, friend or co-worker as a holiday gift? A betta fish vase can be assembled in minutes and provide hours of enjoyment. Materials: 10- to 14-inch clear vase; two bags of marbles or decorative gemstones; 6-inch dieffenbachia, philodendron or peace lily plant; two 4-inch plastic saucers; 1 gallon bottled water (do not use tap or distilled water; 1 male betta fish (Siamese fighting fish) Directions: 1. Rinse vase and marbles or gemstones with tap water to remove any dust or particles that may be harmful to fish.

RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — Virginians who want to stock up on batteries, bottled water and other supplies for the hurricane season will get a tax break next week. Starting May 25 and continuing for seven days, a sales tax holiday will spare them state and local levies for items deemed eligible. They include flashlights, first aid kits and big-ticket items such as generators priced at $1,000 or less. U.S. government forecasters announced Thursday they expect three to six major hurricanes from an above average Atlantic storm season.

Bomb-sniffing dogs found no explosives at a Williamsburg school Monday. After-school activities at Williamsburg's James Blair Middle School were canceled Monday, and students went home without their belongings after the fourth bomb threat at the school in the past three weeks. The threat came in shortly before noon, and students were evacuated and given bottled water as they waited outside for more than two hours. "We were concerned about the information that we had, but we were also concerned about the kids being out in the heat," Williamsburg Fire Battalion Chief Eric Stone said.

High winds and rain on Monday signaled that Hurricane Dennis was churning nearby, prompting some area residents to drop into stores to get the essentials. Supermarket and home-supply store managers said customers were picking up old standbys such as bottled water, tape, flashlights and batteries. But the storm hadn't exactly touched off a buying frenzy, they said. Lowe's in Newport News had sold out of generators and was awaiting a new shipment. "It's hard to say whether it's the Y2K demand or the hurricane demand," said Ken McCoy, the store manager.

NEWPORT NEWS - Despite temperatures soaring into the 90s on Friday, it wasn't all that bad. At least according to Jeff Hall. "It's not hot at all," Hall said as he cut grass in front of a sandwich shop in Hilton Village. "Now, I grant you that it's warm. But it's just warm. " Hall, 60, said Americans these days are "too soft. " A handyman who is a "roofer by trade," Hall said it doesn't get too hot to work until temperatures are well past 100. "Money is still green at 88 and 99 degrees," Hall said.

If you waited until today to pick up supplies, you may have a hard time finding what you need. Shopping at local hardware and grocery stores picked up Tuesday afternoon and by Thursday, bottled water, batteries, flashlights, generators and other hurricane staples were in short supply. Hurricane Irene, a Category 3 storm as of Thursday afternoon, is predicted to affect the Hampton Roads region late Saturday and early Sunday. "It's been pretty crazy today, and we expect it to be worse tomorrow," said Kevin Deaver, owner of the Ace Hardware chain on Thursday.

RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — Virginians who want to stock up on batteries, bottled water and other supplies for the hurricane season will get a tax break next week. Starting May 25 and continuing for seven days, a sales tax holiday will spare them state and local levies for items deemed eligible. They include flashlights, first aid kits and big-ticket items such as generators priced at $1,000 or less. U.S. government forecasters announced Thursday they expect three to six major hurricanes from an above average Atlantic storm season.

Bottled water, loaves of bread and batteries flew off the shelves at Food Lion Wednesday night as shoppers stocked up in case Hurricane Earl decides to make an appearance in Hampton Roads. At the Warwick Center store in Newport News, employee Stevon Hill said a last-minute rush hit the store Wednesday evening. A bin of $1 canned Chef Boyardee pasta was emptied out near the front of the store Thursday morning, with only a few dented cans remaining. "They were grabbing everything on the shelves and everything that was on sale," Hill said, adding that shoppers kept asking for the case of Nestle bottled water on sale for $2.99.

Preparations for the possibility of Hurricane Earl affecting the local area were close to minimal Wednesday, but uncertainty pervaded the Peninsula. Earl's outer edge is expected to arrive Thursday, projected to skirt Virginia's east coast with winds producing a strong storm surge and heavy rain possible. Flooding of low-lying areas is the biggest concern here. Gov. Bob McDonnell declared a state of emergency Wednesday as a precaution ahead of the storm. Kim Hames wasn't taking any chances with her Ridge Road home in Poquoson.

Dear Readers: A gentle reminder that this column thrives on your tips for how to save on big items or small, whether it's a matter of a nickel saved or a penny pinched. So, keep the suggestions ---- and confessions ---- rolling in. For this week, readers weigh in on how to have fun without breaking the bank. CHEAP READING "If you can't make it to the library, check out www.paperbackswap.com and its sister sites, swapadvd.com and swapacd.com," writes Cindy McClintock of James City County.

Bottled water was brought in for Petsworth Elementary School students and staff Wednesday after a test of the school's well water turned up evidence of contamination, said James Camp, facilities director for the school division. The state Health Department notified Camp on Wednesday morning that fecal coliform, a bacteria associated with human or animal waste, had been found in water samples. The organisms can cause illness, with symptoms such as diarrhea, cramps, nausea, jaundice and headaches.